<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>4. Running Out of Time by Knitwritezombie (Missa_G)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26827156">4. Running Out of Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missa_G/pseuds/Knitwritezombie'>Knitwritezombie (Missa_G)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>KWZ does Whumptober 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Earthquakes, Force exhaustion, Gen, Injury, collapsed building, concussion (probably), internal bleeding, suspected spinal injury</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:02:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26827156</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missa_G/pseuds/Knitwritezombie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Collapsed Building</p><p>On a mission, a building collapses. Reinforcements are called.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>KWZ does Whumptober 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948744</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>129</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>4. Running Out of Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Cody’s ears rang from even through the protective dampening and hard plastoid of his bucket. He hadn’t lost consciousness, but despite all the training, instinct had him closing his eyes and raising his hands to block his face as the building started to cave in around them. The jolt had knocked him off his feet, and he slowly, testing for injury, pushed himself back to a standing position. He was sore and would probably be bruised to hell, but nothing felt urgently wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Waxer, Boil, Tank check in,” he ordered over the comm. “Status report.” Rayne’s platoon was on patrol duty. “Wooley, status report?” Cody tried to reach his second, who should have been outside with Rayne. “Who’s got eyes on the General?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scanned what had previously been their command post, seeing other troopers slowly get to their feet and check on squadmates. Rubble littered the area, along with large chunks of the walls and ceiling. They were lucky the floor hadn’t collapsed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no response. “Anyone, report?” He couldn’t hear anything over the buzzing in his ears, but his HUD showed incoming signals from Waxer and Wooley. “Can’t hear you, vod’e,” Cody reported. “Switch to text.”</span>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>Wooley: Go’bor company called in to assess building stability. En route from </span>
    <em>
      <span>Negotiator</span>
    </em>
    <span>. ETA: 45 minutes. Pirun platoon present and accounted for. No casualties to report.</span>
  </p>
  <p>
    <span>Waxer: Minor injuries. All accounted for.</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>Cody waited a moment, and received no response from Boil or Tank. “Any contact with Boil, Tank, or the General?” Boil’s platoon had been on stand down, bunking down in one of the empty offices in the complex.</span>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>Wooley: Negative</span>
  </p>
  <p>
    <span>Waxer: No</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>“Wooley, Coordinate with Go’bor and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Negotiator</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Keep them updated and check in with me every 15 minutes.”</span>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>Wooley: Yessir</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>“Waxer, you’ve got Honeycutt?” Cody asked. </span>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>Waxer: He’s on triage with Radar. Scowl’s with Boil.</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>“Good. Check in in 15.”</span>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>Waxer: sir.</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>The buzzing in his ears seemed less, but Cody still couldn’t hear much. He was reluctant to take off his bucket - the air filters were doing their jobs - but he needed to be able to check in. He quickly routed the internal comm to his wrist unit and took off his helmet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t his hearing, he discovered. Once he was clear of his helmet he could hear his men talking, checking on each other, and the sounds of the rubble shifting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a step toward a cluster of troopers and the only warning he received was the ominous creak of the floor beneath him before Cody was falling, and then blackness.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Consciousness returned in a painful jolt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s always nice of you to drop in, Commander, but that was a little dramatic.” Kenobi’s voice was muffled and hoarse. “No, don’t move.” Despite the gentle tone, Cody could hear the steel underneath, making it an order. It didn’t feel like he was capable of moving much, anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Cody asked. “Were we attacked?” He remembered the building shaking, falling, and then nothing. He blinked rapidly and realized he had a piece of the General’s robe over his face, probably to keep the dust out of his nose and mouth. The General moved it slightly so it wasn’t blocking Cody’s vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. It was some kind of earthquake. You’ve been unconscious for less than an hour. Waxer just reported Go’bor has touched down and are starting their survey. Unfortunately,” Kenobi continued dryly, “we keep experiencing aftershocks, and this building is extremely unstable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the words were in the air, the building shuddered slightly, and Kenobi folded himself over Cody’s head to protect him from falling debris. It did not escape Cody’s notice that the General winced as he settled back on his knees when the tremor stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any communication from Waxer, Tank, or Boil?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boil was knocked unconscious in the initial tremor. I’ve done what I can for him, and Scowl is keeping an eye on him and the others that are injured. I was in the hall outside when the shaking started. Waxer and Tank have rallied their troops to the area they feel is most secure until they can be evac’d or the engineers advise them to move to another location. Unfortunately, you are the highest priority casualty at the moment,” the General reported.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt pretty much numb all over. “Do I want to know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scowl gave you a nerve block, and we’ve done what we can for the bleeding. We’re mostly concerned with any injury to your back and head from where you landed. That’s why we need you to stay still.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Understood, sir,” Cody responded. “Anything else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s all in hand, Commander,” Kenobi answered as his comm chimed. ”Kenobi,” he answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, this is Commander James with Go’bor Company. There’s good news and bad news.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go ahead, Commander.” In the corner of Cody’s vision, he could see Kenobi settle onto the ground in a more comfortable position, his legs folded under him in his preferred position for seated meditation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The good news is that we have the ability to stabilize the building so we can evacuate.” James paused. “The bad news is that a) we’re still experiencing micro-tremors and b) it’s going to take us awhile to make the reinforcements.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long?” Kenobi asked, and Cody saw his hand move, probably to comb through his hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least a couple of hours. I’ve got two squads scouting for more secure routes in while we try to scavenge what we need to prevent further collapse to get you out. If we’re lucky, we can get start evacuating sooner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Understood, Commander. Coordinate with Wooley from Ghost; he’s in command while Commander Cody and I are unavailable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir. Hang tight. James out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The General took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and Cody could just see him slump in on himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright, General?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m mostly uninjured, Commander,” Kenobi answered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I asked, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since their conversation in the deserted rec room, Cody appreciated that Kenobi had tried to be more honest with Cody where it mattered. While he still resisted what he saw as ‘nannying’ behavior, the General was getting better at admitting when he did need something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bumps and bruises only. But I may have overextended myself doing what I could to stabilize Boil. Healing has never been my strong point, though I know enough to treat major injuries in the field.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for being honest, sir. Can Scowl do anything?” Cody asked. He was worse than useless in this situation. He didn’t know the extent of Boil’s injuries, but if it had drained the General that much, then it was probably serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately not,” Kenobi answered wryly. “We can only trust in the Force that the engineers will get to us sooner rather than later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“General?” Cody couldn’t immediately place the voice. “It’s Boil, sir.” Scowl, then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rest easy, Commander,” the General said before climbing to his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, wait.” Cody couldn’t stop him physically, but he hoped he would wait. Kenobi paused and leaned down. “Stims in my belt if you need them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As a last resort only. Thank you, Cody.” Kenobi stood and followed after Scowl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody closed his eyes and drifted, trying not to tense when another small tremor shook the building. After a few minutes, uninjured troopers came to keep him company, and he fought against the urge to ask for status reports from either Scowl, James, or Wooley. He hated not knowing what was happening, especially when he was helpless to do anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some time passed before Scowl escorted Kenobi back to Cody’s side, making him sit with a trooper’s canteen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any updates?” Cody asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scowl answered first. “Boil is as stable as I can make him. We’re just waiting on evac, Commander. I know he’s bleeding internally, but we’ve done all we can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wooley says it shouldn’t be too much longer,” Kenobi added, an exhausted edge to his voice. “They’re shoring up some supports and think they’ve found a way to us. James thinks the easiest thing will be to get us out, and then have Waxer and Tank lead their troops down here, rather than try to find a way out from an upper level.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also, we’ve got the most severe casualties,” Scowl added. “I spoke with Knits from Go’bor, who coordinated with Honeycutt and Radar. I don’t have a lot of diagnostic equipment, but the priorities are you and Boil.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kenobi’s comm chimed. “Stand away from the East wall,” James advised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scowl shouted the order, and those able bodied troopers helped move any injured comrades away from the stated wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All clear, Commander,” Kenobi advised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another weak tremor shook the building, causing dust to rain down once more, then the sound of a plasma beam of some kind. A portion of the wall fell away, allowing fresh air and weak sunlight to enter the space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Commander, can we rename our squad ‘The Calvary?’” a trooper in armor with green accents and the symbol of the GAR Engineering Corp on his shoulder pauldrons asked over the general comm channel as he stepped into the ruined building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You may not,” a voice answered; Cody could only assume it was Commander James. “Brace the exfil and help Chance rig the lifts,” he ordered.“Knits, get in here,” he called before carefully stepping across the floor. “General, Commander,” James greeted. “Give us a few minutes to secure the exit route.” Another trooper, with the medic symbol alongside that of the EngCorp joined the Commander. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Casualties?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boil’s this way,” Scowl responded, leading the EngCorp medic to where they’d been tending the lieutenant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re bringing up a Lattie to get the injured clear, General. We may need your assistance to help hold steady while we load,” James advised. “Cooper’s our best pilot, but the Lattie’s aren’t known for the ability to hover. For the minimally and uninjured we can secure a line to repel down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The General nodded. “Not a problem, Commander James.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody bit his tongue against a protest. The General may ignore his limits, but never without reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Within a few minutes, a number of other troopers had joined them, and Cody found himself smoothly transferred to a stretcher. He couldn’t feel the pain, but something in his thigh tugged unpleasantly. </span>
  <span></span><br/>

  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You’ve got a metal rod through your thigh, Commander,” Scowl reported. “The General cut off the long ends and we secured the tourniquet, but I’ll bet you’ll be good as new after a dunk in bacta.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody decided he had been better off not knowing that while he was unable to do anything about it. He made a mental note to talk to Honeycutt about getting the sergeant more training; they usually made due with one medic per company, supported by a corpsman in each squad, but they were less thoroughly trained, meant to be support to the medics.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boil was loaded up first, followed by Cody, and a few of the more heavily injured that wouldn’t be able to repel down the building. Kenobi stood near the reinforced entrance, but Cody couldn’t see his face as he passed, having been told once again not to move in case of an undetected spinal injury.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scowl.” Before he was transferred to the hovering LAAT, Cody caught the trooper’s attention. He did his best to shoot a significant look at the General without moving his head, but Scowl wasn’t dumb and got the message. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Understood, Commander. I’ll see you back aboard,” the Sergeant responded and stepped back so he could be loaded onto the transport for the trip back to </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Negotiator</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The conversation Cody thinks of is from the last chapter of Care and Feeding of a Padawan Learner: A Guide to Obi-Wan Kenobi by Qui-Gon Jinn (and Utilized by Marshall Commander Cody), which is linked as part of this series.</p><p>Mando'a:<br/>Go’bor from gotabor = engineer<br/>Pirun = water</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>